Sustainable relations
Our customer awareness has grown considerably. We hear this in customer interviews and we think this is a positive development. The new customer chains put even more focus on clients.
Working in a customer-conscious manner is important to us. To measure our customer awareness, the RvA previously conducted client satisfaction surveys. In 2024, we started to modernise our measurements by conducting interviews with a number of clients. In 2025, we are launching an updated customer satisfaction survey based on the four client chains developed by the RvA.
With an external agency we have defined customer chains. These customer chains describe the process ofthe customer needs and the necessary internal actions that ensure that client needs are ultimately satisfied.
The customer chains often represent the existing customer processes. By explicitly naming and describing them and linking specific KPIs to them, they receive more focused attention. This gives us more opportunities to measure what we are doing and make adjustments where necessary.
For example, complaints and requests for information are perceived as disruptive to the most important work process. This is no different at the RvA. We want to break through that and our ambition is to handle every type of customer request properly and completely.
The RvA is always open to developing accreditations in new areas of work. From the European Union, we see that testing, inspecting, certifying and verifying under accreditation are increasingly being designated in legislation. In 2024, we worked on the preparations for new accreditations to which a number of these laws apply, such as the Drinking Water Directive and the AI Act.
As a general rule, IT and sustainability are important themes within product development. In 2024, our work included (partly) carrying out projects to develop new areas of work for the European Cybersecurity Certification Scheme (EUCC), ISO 42001 for AI management systems, ISO 14068 for carbon neutrality and technical assessment bodies (TABs) within the European Building Regulations.
Together with the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI), we carried out preliminary investigations in 2024 at a number of laboratories and certification bodies to obtain accreditation for the European Cybersecurity Certification Scheme (EUCC). This scheme is part of the Cybersecurity Act (CSA) and deals with cybersecurity certification of ICT products, services and processes.
During the preliminary investigation, we determined whether the conformity assessment body (CAB) had included the additional requirements in the quality system. In the meantime, we also carried out the extension assessments at a number of CABs, where we assessed the operation in practice. Upon positive completion of this assessment, we grant accreditation. This is expected to take place in 2025.
Around December 2023, three companies indicated that they were interested in obtaining accreditation for ISO 42001 for AI management systems. In 2024, these companies and the RvA worked hard on the preparation of the application and the execution of the assessment. In January 2025, we granted the accreditation to the first two companies.
In April 2024, a validation and verification institution submitted an application for accreditation for validation and verification of carbon neutrality (ISO 14068). In 2024, we carried out the preliminary investigation and initial assessment for this client. Upon positive completion of the assessment, we will grant accreditation in 2025.
Commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), we assessed the Technical Assessment Bodies (TABs) in 2024 in accordance with the guidelines of the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR). At the request of the Ministry of BZK, the RvA took this assessment over from the Construction Quality Assurance Admissions Organisation (TLoKB).
During the preliminary investigation, we determined which standard is suitable for the assessment of these activities and checked whether the TAB had included the additional requirements in the quality system. At the end of 2024, with the exception of two TABs, all extension assessments were completed. The completion and evaluation with the Ministry of BZK will follow in 2025.
For one of the customer chains, we have been keeping track of satisfaction scores for years, namely at our Wegwijs Training courses. The Wegwijs Training courses have been a great success for four years already.
New customers or new colleagues of existing clients get the opportunity to visit the RvA office in Utrecht to hear more about what an RvA assessment entails and how an assessment day unfolds.
We see in the evaluations that the training courses provide reassurance and create a more relaxed atmosphere during the assessment, especially for new people.
